Ohio - A great place whrn it isn't in your way

Ohio has always been that unending state that was always in the way of where we were going or coming back from.  This makes it so surprising that we had such a good time in Southern Ohio.  Using our USA Camping book we found a terrific park, Cozy Ridge.  It is in Carrolton OH, about 30 minutes east of Canton.  We had planned to stay only 10 days before moving on.  The rates are great, Brady has a great piece of woods to run in, the owners and permanent renters took us in like family.  Seeing no reason to go we extended our stay to 26 days.  We are sold on the landscape here.  It is full of winding roads, hills, farms and little towns that pop up out of nowhere.  However, when we were pulling into this area our GPS forgot we were pulling a 5^th wheel and choose to take us via the most scenic route possible.  At one point my mild mannered superhero said “NO, I am NOT going down that road”.  GPS happily recalculated and poof we did get to our desired destination.  Lesson learned. 

The town of Carrollton is as warm as Cozy Ridge.  We stopped at the Chamber of Commerce and came away with fun material from a great cheerleader for the area.  For days we had fun busying ourselves with little trips. 

Located in the town square is the home of the “Fighting McCooks”.  The father, Daniel McCook and his nine sons all fought in the Civil war.  The home is right in the town square and has been lovingly restored by the historical society. 

Carrollton has a Ben Franklin 5 and dime store from 1932 complete with creaky floors.   One of the things that makes this store touching is the owner.  John Ashton.  He opened his store with a loan from his sister.  She took all of her money out of the bank so that he could buy the franchise.  One week later the banks collapsed.  She would have lost her life savings.  John and his wife Evelyn built his store by giving back to the community.  The store is still very strong and is still giving back.  The couple have past away and the daughters have opened the family home as a 20^th century novelty center. “The Ashton House Museum” is not only a great piece of mid century architecture it is filled with family possessions of a lifetime.  Also, John kept one of everything from the store.  The curator changes displays and furniture several times a year and have many things that have not been on display yet. ( The Ashtons also have letters and every receipt for everything they purchased). This was a fun day.

Have you ever gone to lunch and had it last until dinner time?  Welcome to the Bluebird Farm Estate.  We drove down a winding bumpy drive for about a quarter mile.  On the right are county hiking trails, a toy museum in a barn and a 130 year old farm house that is the restaurant.  We walked in to a farm kitchen with stone fireplace, corner cabinets and old china.  To the left there was a small sign that said “please join us upstairs”.  The décor is so true and honest.  It is easy to believe nothing has ever changed.  The upstairs dining room leads to the enclosed sun porch.  Then you can continue to the patio.  Everywhere you look there are amazing gardens and waterfalls.  We started chatting with the owner and before you know it we are getting a complete tour of the near future wine tasting room located is a pre civil war barn (so cool).  He took us to the banquet room above the toy museum with adjoining vacation apartment.  The suite over looks yet one more garden used for weddings. Everything was so beautiful and effortlessly complete.  Across the river the Bluebird also has a band shell they use throughout the summer.  I’ve gone on enough but as you can see this I really think this is a great spot with no detail missed.

Our intention was to go to Dover to see Warthers Carvings (self taught carver{spose to be very cool}[ we’ll see it some other time]}) . After getting there Les and I decided we did not want to spend $30.00 for the experience.  So we did a little Bing search drove through downtown Dover and found The “American Gas Pump Heaven Museum”!!!  This is a by appointment only stop.  We were lucky enough to catch the owner on sight.  For $5.00 we saw one of the nicest collections of Americana we have seen.  As the story goes…... The owner is a lifetime collector and his wife wanted to reclaim their home, Thus, a museum is born.  What was fun about this crazy place is every piece had story.  The owner had a passion for collecting, restoring and telling yarns.  I was given a treasure hunt check list.  I confessed when I was missing one item the; Bermuda Bell.  With great joy the bell was sounded and its story was shared. For my efforts I was presented with a brand new set of Jacks.  Winner!!!

The common thread every one of these places had was employee, volunteer, owner passion.  It made you feel better knowing those people around you loved what they were doing and loved their home.

We went to the Football hall of Fame in Canton.  It is a nice complete history of football and its players.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been on our list for years.  Check!  There is tons of road construction (destruction) in Cleveland right now.  Now armed with two forms of GPS we easily found our way.  First impression is Wow.  Bright blue sky, white caps on Lake Erie and this shining glass pyramid.  We used the parking garage and had to walk through the science museum (it is currently closed for reno.  If the museum is half as interesting as the main floor “I’ll be back.)  R&RHoFame the name in itself says it has a lot to tackle.  It is so easy to spend the day reading bios, playing with trivia computers and looking at the STUFF.  Very cool day.  “No Pictures” turned out to be ok.  Les and I were able to focus on personal R&R memories and say “Hey – did you know this”! 

We spent much of our time walking in the woods, swimming in the huge pool, riding our bikes on the rails to trails systems.  Basically we just enjoyed the little town of Carrollton. Now, they may not have a Walmart but they do have a Dollar General Market!  Yeah!! – It is a Dollar General with a grocery store!  Genius!

Just off from the Conotton Bike Trails we found Rumley.  The birthplace of General Custer.   This is a tiny town, in the hills with a very nice road side memorial on the Custer family property and this crazy cool flower in the neighbor’s yard.

Friday we are pulling up stakes.  We are going to see my friends Dawn and Jessica.  They are going to be students in a Liz Graves gaiting clinic.  Dawn is the neat lady who now owns Axel the rock star horse.  It should be a great horsey weekend. 

23 SEP 2011

On To Ohio

We are happily heading to Bellfontaine OH.  This puts us about 40 miles west of Columbus, the location of the Clinton Anderson Tour.  (Clinton is the reason we are in Ohio in the first place). 

A few miles away Is Wright Patterson Air Force Base (Dayton, OH).  Les had heard that Wright Pat had a great air museum. The rumors are true.  It is located just outside the base perimeter to make it open to the public.  There are acres of park, monuments and picnic tables.  The museum has three large hangers, a missile silo and an Imax theater (the only cost is the Imax.  Admittance is other wise free).  This is easily a whole day if not a two day event.  Displays start at the beginning of U.S. military air involvement with balloons and planes used by the signal corps.  There is a comprehensive history of the development of wind tunnels, fighter and transport planes and finishes with drones, missiles and the space program. 

 One display shows a plane with the skin removed.  Though this is a 50 year old plane the technology shoved into crannies is incredible.  Special attention is given to prisoners of war their resilience and ability to survive (real examples of ovens, baking dishes, generators made from food cans), the liberation of the concentration camps, Bob Hope, and the aftermath of “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall “.  The museum is full of concept failures and success, artwork, and poetry. 

The B-29 Bomber “Bockscar” is in this museum.  This is the bomber that dropped the “Fat Man” atomic bomb on Nagasaki; 9 August 1945. Like it or not this is the second of two bombs that ended WWII (peace through superior weaponry).   It was fun to see how well visited the museum was by families, and old timers like us.  This is a great free stop and we are told that they will be expanding in the next few years.

I am so excited about this next adventure!!!  In our stack of mail, I had two free tickets to the Clinton Anderson Tour in Columbus OH.  For all my horse friends I need say no more.  For all others consider that he is the smartest professor on his topic and he says things in a way that you understand (and he’s cute and funny too).  If I would have known about him earlier in my horsing hobbie I would probably have fewer seasonal aches and pains then I do now.  Clinton Anderson does not promote himself as a horse trainer.  He is more of a people trainer.  

 For two days he works with several naughty horses and their weak owners.  He shows how using his techniques the owner can understand, ask and expect more from their horse.  Les sat with me both days and said he learned a lot and enjoyed Clintons humor.  I watch his show (Downunder Horsemanship) on RFD TV, watched his DVDs and read several books, so I am familiar with his style.  That just added to how fun it was to see him work in real time situations.  Clinton was addressing the audience after a very impressive “follow the leader” demo with a reformed naughty mare and she kicked him.    Everyone was surprised but it was really nothing that hasn’t happen to many of us before.  It was truth in action to see he followed his own example of  “don’t loose your temper” “move the horses feet (puts you in charge), “make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard” .  The corrections added about 10 to 15 minutes to the demo and the result was a well mannered and humble horse who had a better understanding of right and wrong. Training and working with horses has changed so much over the years and so much for the better.  It was a remarkable weekend.

Les and I learned an important lesson.   If we drink bottled water, so should Brady.  In his very own way Brady made it clear that his system is not agreeable with camping water.  So after, four loads of laundry, carpet and upholstery cleaner, lots of lysol and puppy antacid life is good and we are all smarter and healthier for the experience.

On to Carrolton OH

29 AUG 2011

Indiana - If you try- you can have fun

After our short and very fun stay in Lower Michigan we headed to Indiana.  For years we have driven by the and never stopped at the National Military History Center.  We now have time to stop.   The museum is in Auburn just off US 69. The price to visit the Military Museum and the Kruse Automotive and Carriage Museum is a $5.00 each.      Les and I, over the years have seen a lot of military vehicles and historical displays.    This museum had a little different take.  The majority of these vehicles are from a WW2 private collection of German and Nazi transportation. 

The Military half of this giant building is filled with life sized dioramas.  We saw one of Pattons jeeps and  Several from Rommels fleet. There were many types of vehicles we have never seen before.     The extent was from motorcycles to engineering transport lowboys.  If you think you have seen it all in military vehicular history, this is a great stop.  It is a growing museum.  We saw many new displays being constructed and veterans were making artifact donation while we were there.  Now, very much on the lighter side of the building is the Kruse Automotive and Carriage Museum. 

We saw the patriotic presidential Harley Davidson bike ( no president ever really rode this bike …. But it would have been very cool if one would have), Buffalo Bills wagon, The A Team Van, both Kits, a Batmobile,  the Jokers Duckmobile,   Ahh, Oh Yes!! The General Lee, crazy concept cars and bikes.  This is the most eclectic collection of wheeled vehicle you could imagine.  Tons of fun followed with “Did you See that one??!!”  Well worth the stop.  Also that same week the Museum hosted Air boat races in the pond (in Indiana they called it a lake) out front. Very fun.

Luck has a lot to do with travel and experiences.  This leads us to the Annual St. Joe Pickle Festival.  This is a fun three day event that celebrates the local family owned dynasty of Sechler’s Pickles.    The festival is held at elementary school play ground.  The pickle factory is opened for tours and you are welcomed to taste and purchase items in their year round gift shop.   Les and I had the lucky timing to get a private tour.       Our guide is a fulltime college student, works at the factory in the summers as a packer and did disclose that you did need to have some type of family tie to “get in”.  We had fun trying everything from the traditional baby dill to the orange spice (surprisingly good).  The whole town is involved with this event.  Just imagine the Methodist sharing an extension cord with the Lutherans.  There is a Volksmarch, Decorated Pickle People Contest, Floating Pickle Derby, Cruise in, music, fireworks, bouncy rides and a parade.  It is hard to really say how much fun this fest is and how much fun everyone seemed to have.  PS  - Don’t miss the homemade pickle ice cream at the Amvets booth.  Just down the street in Spencerville we drove through a covered bridge.   There are bunches throughout Indiana.  We were quite impressed with this one and decided that one is enough (we maybe wrong). 

New campsite in Greenfield.  Bigger rv park with a lot more space for Brady to run.      He did catch a little varmint and chased a beautiful red fox.   Les and I are so happy with how well Brady is adjusting to life on the road.  He does look a little sad when he sees us start to pack up.  But he seems happy to get to a new spot too. 

Indiana overall is not really a great tourist destination ( this blog is about my opininon but please do enlighten me).  So do keep in mind that Les and I are just traveling and looking for little nuggets of entertainment and Americana.  So if you find yourself in Indiana or even Western Kentucky, go to Metamora.  Les and I rode a bike trail that followed the horse drawn canal from the 1840’s.  Along the trail we saw remnants of three primitive locks and a still functioning Aqueduct (at first glance you would think it is a covered bridge).  In town there is a horse drawn canal boat.  This is a replica to show how the canal functioned when it was cutting edge transportation.         No horses were hitched up the day we were there.  They work Wednesday to Sunday.     There is a functioning gristmill, an Artisan center with hand made leather, candles yarn items and handy crafts.  Oh yes and many antique and gift shops are here.  All buildings must adhere to the historical back ground of the town for it individual time frame.     Most things were closed this day so we were happy to find and Open sign at the “Smelly Gourmet” (  www.SmellyGourmet.com  ).   We found the owners trying to put a grill together on this slow work day.  Steve (Smelly himself) was happy to allow his bride to persevere with the grill while he came in to serve us.  This store is a crazy mix of family grown popcorn, original art work made from the computer graveyard, soy candles odd antiques.  Amazing European coffees (no kidding, chuck that over priced Starbucks and give this a try)  (I haven’t had a cappuccino like this since I was in Italy {a long long time ago {we will leave it at that}).  Turns out Steve is retired Navy and had been stationed in Italy for quite a bit of his career.  Whether it was his genuine ability to entertain or the escape from the daunting grill construction we felt like we were at a friends house for lunch.   Everything in this shop is original and has a sense of humor right down to my lunch of an awesome Spam Panini.  Metamora great by being true to itself.  Nothing put on just people loving there old town.

Imagine if you will…….you are a farmer.  You have a lovely pond on your property.  You wake up in the morning and your pond has been stolen!!!!  The story as it is told, the limestone bed of the pond collapsed creating a sink hole.  This sink hole lead to cavern.    Blue Spring Cavern in Bedford ( http://www.bluespringcaverns.com/ )  The unique thing about this cave tours is it is travelled by electric boat as the whole cave is a river.  This river does flood in the spring making the tour impassable.  There are only ten or so formations in the cave but the hour long trip is fun and a little haunting.  Looking over the edge of the boat you can see albino blind crawfish and other little tiny white fish.  The cavern is so quiet.   It has the quilted quiet of fresh snow with an added haunting sound track of aluminum boat against the water echo. (I have been reading more cheap novels.  Does it show?)  No but really that is what it is like.  This brings Indiana to a close for us.  So it is on to Ohio.

PS – Les just missed a hole in one on the sixth hole of a par three course.  The ball stuck the green and had a back spin to with in a tee length.  It was very exciting.  Not bad for picking his clubs up for the first time In six years.

22 AUG 2011

Hats off to down town Auburn and Mad Antony’s Brewing Company.  They don’t make their own beer but they do host Indiana brews and a busy menu ( www.madbrew.com ).            “Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder”.